Stories

Charlotte Prep is a place where people love to be, whether that’s our students who don’t want to leave at the end of the day or teachers who come back year after year. No one represents that better than Ms. Mary Ann Pater, who has been a teaching assistant in our lower school for a remarkable 27 years!

“Mary Ann has touched the lives of so many of our Prep students, and she glows with pride and affection for all of our students. There is a reason she presents the Lifer recognition gift at graduation every year!” - Christie Cole, Executive Assistant to Head of School

During her tenure here, Ms. Pater has seen Charlotte Prep grow from a small Montessori school to the leading PreK-8 school in the region.

Photographs from Mary Ann Pater's first years at Charlotte Prep in the 1990s.

A New Home at Prep

Mary Ann moved to Charlotte in 1995 from Knoxville, TN where she worked at a Blue Ribbon school. She was first introduced to our school as a substitute in the summer and says that she was impressed right away by how the 2 and 3-year-old students worked so independently. That Fall, she joined our school full-time and hasn’t looked back.

When asked what has kept her here, Ms. Pater didn’t hesitate to answer “the community.” 

“I love the community. It’s a small community where children have opportunities they wouldn’t have in larger schools. It’s like a family here. And as they get older, my former students still come by for hugs and high-fives. It’s truly a special place.”

Leaving a Legacy

Ms. Pater’s admiration for Charlotte Prep is evident and something that’s spread to her family. Her daughter is now a Montessori teacher herself. And after retiring from his former career five years ago, her husband Ray Pater joined the school as a beloved bus driver.

Mary Ann says her most cherished memories at Prep are when graduates come back to visit, share their memories of the school, and how they’ve succeeded in life because of their experience here.

“Ms. Pater is the sweetest person I know, and one of the most special parts about returning to the Charlotte Prep campus is knowing I get to see her and get the warmest hug.” - Meha, Class of 2021

Thank you, Ms. Pater!